Tales From Chincanery Hollow
by Quietally
Summary: Deep within the murky depths of the Tangled Wood, two young Mirror mates establish their lair and fight for the safety and wellbeing of their clan. Part of the 100 Themes Challenge, written for DarkQueenSigyn
1. Chapter 1- Introduction

"Is it time?"

Arianne lifted her head, her crests, which had risen in defense at the approach of another settled upon seeing her mate.

"Almost" she replied, her voice soft but strained with anticipation. "It could be any moment now, they've started to move"

Vis ducked beneath a tangle of thorns to join the female within the sheltered grove where they had decided to nest. The grove itself was quiet and peaceful, nothing to disturb it but dancing mists and the occasional fireflies. They had chosen well, Vis knew that should they choose to mate again, he and Arianne would most likely return here. Their clan was new, young and vulnerable. It had only been a matter of days since the pair had stumbled out into the world, the hissing whisper of the Shadowbinder still fresh in their ears. "Go forth my children. Bring unto the world my darkness."

With no family besides each other, the two dragons had fought hard to make their place within the mire, and even harder to keep their nest safe. There was an unspoken rule throughout the clans that nests were to be left alone, regardless of circumstance, but it was not in Vis's nature to be trusting. Whatever future their clan might have rested within this nest and the successful birth of its occupants. It was not a responsibility Viseryies would take lightly.

"Oh, Vis, look!"

The dragon's entire body became tense with excitement as he peered into the nest. Both eggs were wobbling; he could see tiny shadows moving within their almost translucent shells. A limb reached out and a tiny paw batted against the side of its prison, digging angrily as though it intended to claw its way into the world right then and there.

"Should we help them?" Vis asked, but Arianne merely shrugged. It was her first nest too, she knew no better than he. Deciding to trust instinct, Vis lent down and bit, carefully, at the top of an egg while Arianne did the same with its sibling. A dark, foul liquid filled Vis's mouth and he spat before bending once more to chew at the shell. In a matter of minutes, he had managed to create a rather large hole in the crown of the egg and was rewarded as a small, dark, slimy creature crawled out. It floundered about helplessly, getting itself coated with the dead leaves and other debris that covered the bottom of the nest. From Arianne's soft gasp, Vis knew the other egg had had a successful hatching and he turned to look at their other child, which was also scrambling for purchase on the nest floor.

"Help it." Vis commanded, though his voice was tender. Arianne inclined her head and brushed her pink tongue over the hatchling, which cleaned away some of the mess. It responded with a squeak, which made Vis chuckle.

Soon, both of the hatchlings were clear of any muck and for the first time, Vis saw his children. They were soft with baby fat and all together rather pudgy, but he could see the potential. With time and care, who knows what they could become? Gently, Vis nosed at the child until he managed to flip it onto its back. It started up at him with milky eyes, utterly puzzled.

"This one's a boy." Vis commented to Arianne "We have a son."

"This one too" Arianne said, as she pushed the hatchling towards it's brother. The two tumbled together, a wriggling pile of stunted teeth and dull claws. Almost immediately, the boys began to fight, clawing, nipping and squeaking in outrage.

"Here now" Vis said, grabbing the cream coloured male by the tail with his teeth and pulling him off his brother. "Don't fight, you two are allies and friends, you are meant to protect each other."

The hatchling immediately turned around and bit Vis soundly on the muzzle. He howled and pulled back, accidentally flinging the young dragon into the air. He was caught in Arianne's waiting mouth and she laid the child once more atop his brother. Vis pawed at his sore snout and Arianne laughed.

"They are hunters, there is no doubt." She said, gathering the boys against her chest as she settled herself into the nest. "What shall we name them, my beloved?"

Vis considered his children for a moment, watching as they nuzzled against their mother and cried out for food. There would be much hunting to do in the days to come, the hatchlings would grow quickly and would require plenty to eat.

"This one shall be Jace.," he said, leaning down to nuzzle against the cream male that had bit him. Jace pressed his muzzle against his father's and licked at the bite, which made Vis grin. He stood there, for a moment, staring into the eyes of his child and feeling the tiny, fluttering heartbeat that rested against his snout. He wondered how much of this the boys could understand, and how much they would remember. He had no idea what it was like to be a hatchling or to have parents; he had come into the world fully formed.

Jace clung to him a few moments longer, before falling back to the ground and landing on some dead leaves he immediately began to savage with his tiny milk teeth. They shone against his dark mouth like pearls in a cave.

"And what about the other?" Arianne asked, nudging the other hatchling towards Vis. He tumbled atop his father's muzzle and clung to him, squeaking with uncertainty. Vis nuzzled and breathed on the child, letting him know his feeling and his scent, which seemed to calm the hatchling. "This one shall be Anthony."

"Anthony and Jace." Arianne whispered, taking her turn to cuddle her children. They squeaked and licked her nose, which made her laugh again "They are hungry, beloved. I left a store no more than half an hour's journey east from here, near the stream?"

"I know where." Vis replied. He bumped his head against his mate's and then licked their sons once more before turning to leave. He stole a final glance over his shoulder, taking a minute to watch his family before spreading his wings and flying off into the darkness.


	2. Chapter 2- Complicated

The wind blew, cold and damp, across Vis's back, bringing with it the scent of flesh and fires from the wastelands and the salt from the sea, which was just to the east. Beneath it laid the smell of dead leaves, pine needles and must, the scent of the woods itself. Vis breathed it all in, eyes shut, mouth open. Beside him crouched his son, Anthony, who would have been almost invisible in the gloom if not for his rust coloured wings, which stood out like gashes against the loamy ground. The youngster wobbled, moving from one paw to the other and twitching his tail, trying to stay balanced. He glanced up at his father, and Vis was once again struck by the innocence in those eyes. It was strange, for in size and stature his son matched him in every way but his body was no reflection on his mind. Child's questions came from an adult's mouth and Vis knew that the boy had much to learn before he was ready to make his way out of their grove alone.

"Tell me, Anthony" Vis said, lowering himself down to the other dragon's level "What do you smell?"

Anthony closed his eyes, mimicking the same stance his father had taken moments before, and breathed deeply.

"Leaves." he said, a slight lisp to his words "Dead ones. And pine, mushrooms...rain, which could fall tonight and..."

His eyes shot open and his head flew up, crests near vertical in the air as his whole body began to quiver.

"Birds. I smell birds, father."

It was all Vis could do not to smirk, but he managed to keep his expression flat.

"Good. Can you tell me where the birds are?"

Anthony's eyes closed again and he lowered his head back towards the ground, mouth open as before. The only difference now was that he was unable to stay still; the muscles in his shoulders were twitching which caused his wings to flutter slightly. Vis snorted and stepped to the side as he was hit with a flap of leathery skin. Anthony cracked open an eye and winced.

"Sorry father."

"Never mind, you're eager, that's good. Just try and tell me where you think the birds are?"

Mustering his focus, Anthony closed his eyes and sat, motionless. Minutes went past, around them the wind blew and leaves fluttered. Vis could easily pick out the birdsong coming from behind them and he was just starting to wonder if perhaps he should give Anthony another hint before the young dragon leaped into the air, spun round and thundered off into the brush, almost knocking Vis clear off his feet.

"What are you DOING?" he bellowed as Anthony disappeared from view, hidden by the thick bushes that surrounded the clearing "Anthony, come back!"

There was no response, the only sign that Anthony had even been there with him was the shaking leaves, followed by a startled flock of crows that scattered into the sky, outraged and squawking. With that racket, any game worth catching would be scared off for miles. Vis dropped onto his stomach and placed his paws over his face with a groan. Though he cursed himself for even thinking it, he wondered why Anthony couldn't share his brother's capabilities for hunting. Jace had taken to it almost instantly and had learned quickly enough that Vis had felt comfortable enough to send him off on his own today.

The boy had left at dawn, Viserieys had instructed him to journey West through the wastelands, then head south to the plateau. This would be an easier trip for him than battling the currents on the coast, and while food was plentiful on the plains, Vis knew that Jace would have to be cunning in order to catch anything for he had neither gloom nor trees with which to shield himself, only the grass and the bamboo groves. He hoped the boy would learn, and that he would be fruitful enough so as not to get discouraged. It took a careful balance to make a good hunter, succeeding too often would make him arrogant and lazy, while too few kills would cause the clan to starve

"Father!"

Vis lifted his head, expecting Anthony to have returned but was surprised when he saw Jace running towards him from the other side of the grove, a small bundle clutched in his mouth. Dirt skidded out from beneath the young dragon's feet and he landed in an unceremonious heap in front of his father, breathing hard.

"You'll never believe what I found!

"Food, I hope." Vis replied, sitting up and nosing his son over for injuries. He was caked with clay and grass, but that wasn't anything a trip to the streams wouldn't fix. Other than that, the boy seemed unscathed and Vis breathed a sigh, sending out one of his rare prayers to the Shadowbinder. While he was not a devout dragon, he knew well enough to be thankful for a miracle when they did happen, lest his ungratefulness be remembered in times of need.

"It's better than food," Jace said, standing now, mouth spread wide in a grin. "Just wait til you see."

He inclined his head towards the bundle on the ground. Vis considered it for a moment, wondering what his son could've brought home. The lands were littered with lost trinkets; perhaps the boy had found some discarded piece of clothing or some other such treasure. The older dragon leaned down and was about to sniff the package when it wriggled, which was the last thing Vis had been expecting it to do. He jumped back, wings spread and crests erect.

"Jace, what is this?! I sent you out to hunt, you had a responsibility to the clan and you came back here with...a pet?"

"She's not a pet, father, look."

Jace leaned down and tugged at the bundle, which fell open. Nestled against soft green fabric was a hatchling, a fae, pink and impossibly small. It opened its eyes, which were bright green, glanced at Vis and then rolled onto its back, reaching out a minute paw towards Jace. The young dragon's expression softened and he placed his muzzle against the hatchling's stomach, nuzzling her soft baby scales while she hummed happily. Vis gasped and drew back, head spinning.

"Jace, no. You stupid, stupid child."

The young dragon sat down with a bump and cocked his head to the side. There was blatant, accusing hurt in his eyes as he stared back at his father.

"I found a mate. I thought you would be proud of me." he whimpered

"Proud? How could I be proud? She's a hatchling, and a fae no less. What did you do, snatch her from someone's nest? No, don't answer me, I don't want to know because she is going right back where you found her, understand? She is not staying with us."

"But-"

"No, no buts. This is someone's child Jace, her poor parents are probably scared out of their wits. She needs to go home."

"Father? What's happening?"

Vis glanced over his shoulder to see Anthony, sitting on his haunches with a dead crow by his feet. The young dragon looked as confused and helpless as he felt.

"Stash that kill and get your mother, Anthony. With any luck, we'll be able to sort out this mess before someone starts a clan feud."

"She's mine, Father." Jace tried, though his voice sounded pitiful even to his own ears "I found her, she needs to stay.

"Jace, enough." Vis snapped. By his tone, Jace knew arguing was out of the question, and that he had been in more trouble than he had ever been in his life.


End file.
